Board of Trustees
James H. Davis, III
Regulatory Attorney, American Express
Parent Trustee & Chairman
James H. Davis III and his family moved to South Orange in 2008. He has been married to his wife Shanease for 17 years and they have four children ages 15, 13, and two that are 11-years old. James is a regulatory attorney for American Express in New York. He and his family are members of Fountain Baptist Church in Summit, New Jersey. James graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law and Society and in 1994 with a J.D. from the University of Arizona.
James is also an active member of the South Orange community. Over the years, he has coached soccer teams for all of his four children or provided assistance to coaches when needed. The Davis’ are also member of the South Orange pool and enjoy attending music in the park at Flood’s Hill during the summer. James has also worked with the Achieve Foundation’s music division by volunteering to assist in helping the organization raise money for the district’s music programs and students. James’ passion for music and the arts run deep as he and his children play multiple instruments including, piano, violin, guitar, trombone, baritone and tuba. In whatever spare time he can find, James also likes to play golf.
Jordan M. Fields
CHS ‘16, Cabinet Member, Office of the Mayor of Pittsburgh
Alumni Trustee
Jordan Fields is a native of Maplewood and attended the township’s public schools, graduating from Columbia High School in 2016. She was a two-sport athlete in high school, earning varsity letters throughout her four years as the starting point guard on the girls’ basketball team and member of the nationally recognized girls’ track team. Jordan finished her career in basketball tying the school’s 3-points record. In track, she was one of the top horizontal jumpers in the nation, earning First Team All-State honors, in addition to All-Group and All-County designations, in the triple-jump. She was one of the founders of the Black Student Union at Columbia High School and the lead complainant in a landmark federal civil rights complaint filed by the ACLU and UCLA Civil Rights Project targeting discriminatory practices in the school district. Jordan is an alumna of the University of Pittsburgh, the 'Senior of the Year' for the Class of 2020 and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She will enroll in the PITT School of Law in the fall of 2021.
Deborah Davis-Ford
Clerk, Essex County Board of Commissioners
Deborah David Ford has a rich history of public service. She is a former Trustee of the Village of South Orange and the Clerk of the Essex County Board of Commissioners. She has served as a member of the Regional Business Partnership, president of the Greater Newark Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council and on the Executive Board of North Jersey Jack & Jill. A native of East Orange, New Jersey, Deborah is married to her high school sweetheart Rocky and they have one daughter, Rachel.
Antoine Green
Principal, Lowell Elementary School, Teaneck, New Jersey
Antoine Green is the Principal of Lowell Elementary School in Teaneck, New Jersey. Under his leadership, Lowell School has increased student achievement on the New Jersey Learning Assessment by 75% for Math and 97% for English/Language Arts over the last 3 years. Antoine also serves as a member of the Teaneck Schools Access and Equity Committee. He is currently a member of the Education Committee of the South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race.
Narda Chisholm Greene
Avery Julian
Student, Rutgers University
Avery is a 2017 graduate of Columbia High School and is one of the founders of the Black Student Union at the high school. Immediately upon graduation from high school, Avery set out to have an impact on school district policy. He offered himself as a candidate for the Board of Education, and though unsuccessful, played a major role in shifting the focus of the election to student needs. Avery is a candidate for graduation in the Rutgers University Class of 2022.
Dr. Kalisha Morgan
Assistant Superintendent, Montclair Public Schools
Dr. Kalisha Morgan brings 25 years experience in elementary and secondary education to the Black Parents Workshop. Dr. Morgan was formerly principal of Columbia High School and served as the Director of Planning and Assessment for the South Orange-Maplewood School District. Currently the Assistant Superintendent for Equity, Curriculum and Instruction for the Montclair Public Schools, she also serves on the Board of Education for Union Township Public Schools and the Essex County Foundation Board. Dr. Morgan is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Jack and Jill of America. She is married to Gregory and they have two sons, Tyler and Marcus.
Tracey Jarmon-Woods
Parent Trustee
Tracey Jarmon-Woods was born in the state of Delaware and is the owner of the small business Modern Sky Art & Sound. As an artist, Jarmon – Woods hand designs and creates wall art reflective of social discourse which are featured in Art Galleries around New Jersey and are sold in local community fairs. Jarmon-Woods is the lead singer of the band called Trace that performs at numerous local venues. She also renders live performances at several facilities and hospitals for patients with dementia, the elderly and veterans with a diverse list of songs from the 30's to the 70's.
Jarmon-Woods is a military veteran who served as a Medic during Desert Storm. She attended Delaware State University and graduated from the Art Institute of Atlanta. She has held managerial positions in both the medical field as well as with an internet company before becoming a successful realtor in New York. Jarmon-Woods resides with her husband and son in South Orange New Jersey is presently writing her first novel.
Courtney Wicks
Parent Trustee - SoHUD Black Parents Workshop
Courtney Wicks, a parent-resident of Hoboken, is the Local Director of SoHUD Black Parents Workshop. She has written and proposed policy for the New Jersey State Legislature, the United States Congress, on behalf of issue advocacy organizations such as NARAL and various elected officials. Last year, Courtney organized two major statewide hearings on the state of affairs of law enforcement and New Jersey’s halfway house system for New Jersey’s Law and Public Safety Committee Chairman Charles Mainor. As a result, new legislative proposals and measures were introduced and if adopted will make New Jersey a national leader in public safety legislation.
Courtney Wicks is also a former student athlete. She received All- American awards for both soccer and basketball in high school. She was awarded a full women’s basketball scholarship to Penn State and later, to Saint Peter’s University. Courtney played professional basketball for two years for the WNBA’s developmental league, called the National Women’s Basketball League.
Courtney’s passion is advocating for healthy opportunities for children. She co-founded the “Urban Sports Alliance”, now called “Play It Forward”, a sport based youth development organization that seeks to help underserved youth create opportunities for success through athletics. She is a member of the Black Women in Sport Foundation, serves as the youth representative on USA Track and Field’s Women’s Committee as the youth representative.
Rev. Keith Wright
At-Large Trustee
Pastor Keith D. Wright began his corporate career in 1972 at a time when African-Americans were relatively new to the corporate world. He has held a number of senior management positions and devotes his time helping individuals navigate the executive suite while reconciling their faith practices. He is the author of “Spiritual Oars for Dark Waters,” a practical guide that employs teachings in the Christian faith to support employees’ personal and professional growth.
A native of New Jersey, Wright has held several civic and community positions, including serving as Chair of the Economic Development Corporation, Chair of the YMCA Capital Campaign. Chair of the Mayor’s Community Development Corporation and the Parking Commission for the City of East Orange.
Pastor Wright holds a Ph.D. in Theology from the Newburgh Theological Seminary, a Master’s Degree in General Administration from the University of Maryland, and a B.A. in History from Rutgers University. He has also attended Harvard University’s Program for Management Development.
Kesha Whitaker
MapSO Freedom School Liaison
(non-voting representative)
Shannel Roberts
MapSO Freedom School Liaison
(non-voting representative)
Robert Tarver, Esq.
Of Counsel